Ben Mckelvey
@benmckelvey
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A Scar is Also Skin. it’s all there.
Sydney
Joined March 2009
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UNICEF director says IDF has killed 'at least' 13,000 children in Gaza. 'Thousands more have been injured or we can’t even determine where they are. They may be stuck under rubble… We haven’t seen that rate of death among children in almost any other conflict in the world.'
Children suffering from malnutrition in Gaza will be stunted for life, "if they survive,"
@unicefchief
says. "It's a painful, painful death for children."
In maternity wards, "babies don't even have the energy to cry. It's a devastating thing to see," she says.
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This new video from
@BoyBoy_Official
interviews
@MurdochCadell
and uses some contextual information and quotes from my book Find Fix Finish
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In 2011 senior British officers were warned that the SAS were committing murder at a mass scale in Afghanistan. They buried that warning (and by doing so likely commuting war crimes themselves).
What does that revelation mean here in Australia? (a🧵)
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In the full Ben Roberts-Smith judgment there's one very concerning aspect found in the section relating to the alleged assault on BRS's mistress (named as Person 17): 🧵
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@NadavPollak
Can you think of another instance in which you’d be cool with one nation state bombing other’s consulate in a third country?
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If you were at a dinner party and someone said the protest at the Opera House was 'akin to a Port Arthur moment in terms of their social significance,' you'd order an Uber, right?
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It is possible such military capabilities were (and perhaps are) being abused. I know Person 17 approached
@nswpolice
about the intrusions, and I wonder if this is still being investigated by police or Defence?
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Palestinian press are reporting that the killed Australian is Zomi Frankcom, who was a WCK senior manager having worked previously at Commonwealth Bank and UTS.
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So how did BRS, then a private citizen, access Person 17's phone and how did he have access to a
@VirginAustralia
flight manifest? Especially considering evidence given later in the trial that BRS was not technologically adept.
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This is the PM's response to the hunting and killing of Zomi Frankcom and I can barely imagine a more tepid one.
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In the wake of the David McBride verdict, a 🧵 with context around some of the leaked material that made it into the press thanks to
@MurdochCadell
. First up: Jalbay.
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The Queanbeyan Race Club and
@tabcomau
announcing themselves as firmly pro murder, pro war crime.
@queanbeyanage
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The Brereton Report alleged that Ben Roberts-Smith was one of at least 25 soldiers who committed murder in Afganistan, with the defo trial revealing more alleged perpetrators. How much responsibility should lie with the command that trained and deployed them? 🧵
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There’s a 25k strong Facebook group called ‘we support Ben Roberts-Smith’ and it’s so very Facebook group
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Second most senior officer in the British armed forces knew, in 2011, of 'unofficial policy' among SAS squadrons to kill any Afghan male over age of 15 on raids, regardless of threat
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A few people have asking me why Ben Roberts-Smith never rose above the rank of corporal in his 20 year career. Here's a grab from my book Find Finish that may help explain.
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Good day to check in on accountability, post Brereton. One man has been charged- seen here shooting a captive- but no other criminal referrals, despite a promise of accountability and a statutory body with a budget of now nearly $200 million and 150+ staff
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The SASR has a cyber troop who are trained in exactly that type of electronic manipulation. Also adept at such activities are Electronic Warfare Operators or bears, who the SASR regularly worked with.
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The illegal accessing of bank accounts and email was not tested by Justice Besanko, but he found that Roberts-Smith ' had manipulated Person 17’s Telegram messages in a way she did not desire and which frightened her. '
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The IDF didn't generate 6000 legitimate targets in the first six days, they weren't honest about al-Ahli and there is no plan to defeat Hamas except to kill and to hope. Israel seems to be rudderless.
Israeli shelling in occupied Gaza has just killed the wife, son and daughter of Al Jazeera Arabic reporter Wael Al Dahdouh.
Al Dahdouh’s family members were killed in an attack that hit their home in the central Gaza Strip.
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A little bit of context about yesterday's report from
@abc730
alleging Ben Roberts-Smith was 'directly involved' in the murder of an elderly imam in the village of Sola in 2012, and why those further up the chain of command may be implicated 🧵
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He had employed a private detective (to follow Person 17 and ensure she had an abortion) and perhaps he'd engaged another private citizen to help him with his own intelligence ops. Or...perhaps...
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Justice Besanko also wrote that: 'I also accept her evidence that the applicant told her that he knew that Person 17 had not been on the earlier morning flight because (BRS) had access to the Virgin flight manifest.'
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With the help of the Vic Gov,
@ElbitSystemsLtd
has a 'Centre of Excellence in Human-Machine Teaming and Artificial Intelligence' in Port Melbourne. Knowing what we do about how Elbit and the IDF use AI, this should be shuttered (and turned into The Zomi Frankcom Soup Kitchen)
Three very deliberate Israeli air strikes killed Zomi and her aid worker colleagues.
This was murder. It’s one part of the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Was the aid convoy targeted by an Australian made drone? Were the explosive charges made in Australia?
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On the stand the Person 17 alleged that Ben Roberts-Smith claimed to be able to access her bank accounts, and that he accessed a flight manifest and manipulated her phone remotely, accessing the messaging app Telegram.
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Reading the full BRS judgement and the Justice has accepted that a number of of other Australian soldiers committed murder, or conspired to commit murder (not to mention many who he said perjured, conspired etc). Those who may be visited by the AFP soon are:
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One of the great contemporary US writers chimes in on the Jonathon Glazer speech, and on his changing relationship with Israel.
LISTEN: Award-winning playwright and screenwriter Tony Kushner tells Haaretz Podcast why he's baffled by the controversy over director Jonathan Glazer's "unimpeachable and irrefutable" remarks at the 2024 Oscar Awards
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The ADF gave this company $2 billion to develop a Battle Management System, but didn't roll it out after it looked like the Israelis had secretly built in a backdoor. What exactly do you you need to do to get on the Australian shit list?
Israeli drones used in murder of 7 aid workers & Zomi Frankom, was
@ElbitSystemsLtd
’s Hermes 450-Zik.
@RichardMarlesMP
just awarded Elbit $1billion, VicGov provides support to its Aus subsidiary, & there are loads of other AusGov contracts with this killer company.
#ArmsEmbargo
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Keep in mind that the British inquiry uncovered emails stating that the British SAS were in an unofficial 'EJK (extra judicial killing) competition' with an FE from another country in Afghanistan (it's us or the US)
Second most senior officer in the British armed forces knew, in 2011, of 'unofficial policy' among SAS squadrons to kill any Afghan male over age of 15 on raids, regardless of threat
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In 2020 Person 4- perhaps the most important witness to the BRS murders- was threatened by Defence with criminal sanction if he spoke to people outside the CoC. Why this is a command failure, and a big deal🧵
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If
@RNBreakfast
speak to Deborah Conway again:
- The IDF hasn’t been using the ‘knock on the roof’ tactic in this conflict
- most children who’ve been killed were under 8
- the human shield argument doesn’t hold up when talking about area bombing
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There's also this. The FOI act explicitly states that a request cannot be denied to conceal a crime.
"The document within the scope of this request contains information which, if released, could reasonably be expected to damage the international relations of the Commonwealth”
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Two days ago an official report was released saying that the Governor General is, at the very least, morally culpable for war crimes including murder
I know people are angry about this for some reason, but I for one think we should make a tradition out of it. Governor-General’s spouses must all have a quirky trait and must impose that quirky trait on unsuspecting citizens at all official events.
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A source from my book Mosul posted this pic (Iraqi partner force with Aussie patch standing on pile of bodies) and it speaks to one of the major issues in the war crimes story. 1/2
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Happy birthday to the ol' warhorse,
@markhunt1974
. Hope you're indulging today in some calories and family love.
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Two points of note:
- John Singleton reinstated the Crusader Cross, removed in the original Defence image
- That copyrighted image cannot be used without Defence approval
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An IDF commander watched three kids- 10, 8 and 4- get into a car, then ordered the car be destroyed. It's not that different to ordering soldiers to bayonet children in their beds.
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Blockbuster story about senior former SASR officers being referred to the National Anti Corruption Committee over alleged intelligence carve-out companies. I have some thoughts 🧵
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The sentencing of
@MurdochCadell
, the officer who blew the whistle on illegality within Australia's special forces, starts today. McBride is the only person convicted for major crimes in Afghanistan, despite Defence itself finding credible evidence for at least 39 murders.
David McBride is set to learn his fate at sentencing on Monday, after pleading guilty to leaking military documents to the ABC known as the 'The Afghan Files'.
@MurdochCadell
told us how he's feeling before his court date.
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'All fighting age males are killed on target regardless of the threat they posed.' On day two of the British inquiry into SAS murders in Afghanistan emails show senior officers aware of mass murder.
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WTF are
@theage
doing here? They’ve published an oped about McBride and The Afghan Files, with no mention of the fact that the author also wrote perhaps the most damning document in those files- the IO report clearing the SASR of the Jalbay killings.
@ABCmediawatch
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Rodger Shanahan is damning of David McBride and The Afghan Files in today's SMH, without disclosing the fact he wrote one of the most damning documents that was disclosed in it. Here is that document. Read it using context below ⬇️
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statement from UN experts, including
@profbensaul
HAS detail about Gaza mass graves including ‘women and children, with many reportedly showing signs of torture and summary executions, and potential instances of people buried alive.’
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On its surface, the
#4corners
seemed to be, yet there was an essential dimension of this story that was either ignored or not understood. 1/15
This was fascinating. So many layers to the story. Superb work from
@GraceTobin
and team.
#4Corners
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When I discovered just how many people were killed pointlessly by the SOTGs, I kept thinking ‘why didn’t someone do something about this?’ I guess this is why.
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There are reports that the IDF has killed five food aid workers working in Gaza, including an Australian.
NEW
Palestinian media organizations are saying that Israeli air strikes killed five aid workers, some of whom are foreign nationals, from
@chefjoseandres
’s World Central Kitchen.
The videos being distributed show medical workers holding up their passports which include…
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Part of that Australian framework were the SOTG legal officers, whose job was to ensure that the SAS were acting legally. David McBride
@MurdochCadell
was an SOTG legal officer, and one who felt that commanders were usurping that framework and is now on trial.
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A Haaretz investigation has found that ZAKA first responders- the source of many western media pieces about Oct 7 atrocities- fabricated stories and ran a 'fundraising campaign that used the dead as props.'
Haaretz investigation reveals cases of negligence and the spreading of misinformation by the Zaka volunteer group, which began collecting bodies in the devastated communities of southern Israel immediately after the Hamas attack /
@AronRabino1
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When it come to war crime, there are legal responsibilities and there are moral responsibilities. No gov articulated to the Australian people that we were in Afghanistan only due to US alliance obligations, but that was the reality.
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@louiseadler
Also worth noting is the increasing evidence that IDF targeting includes Gaza’s cultural firmament. Refaat Alareer was not killed in the middle of a battle, and there has been no explanation for the destruction of the Gaza Municipal Library.
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Penny Wong should say the same thing. It’s important that the Australian gov indicates that we want to continue to be part of the international rules based order.
BREAKING: Norway's foreign minister says 'if there is an arrest warrant against Netanyahu and Gallant from the Hague Court, we will have to arrest them if they arrive in Norway'
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Israel isn't letting forensic experts into Gaza but the Civil Defence officers exhuming men, women and children from four mass graves at al-Shifa hospital have found 'signs of field executions, binding marks, gunshot wounds to the head and torture marks on the limbs.'
At last BBC News does some proper journalism and doesn't take IDF press releases at face value-
Mass graves and body bags: al-Shifa hospital after Israel withdrew its forces
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Last grab from my book. I asked Dr Brendan Nelson, who appeared as a character witness for Roberts-Smith about the possibility of today's verdict.
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Ok, back to Australian war crimes and potential expanded culpability. Back to the 2009 killings in Jalbay. Details of those killings were revealed in The Afghan Files, the article farmed from documents
@MurdochCadell
gave
@DanielMOakes
.
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EA: You thought you knew FIFA? YOU DELUSIONAL FOOL
EVERY E3:
SONY: But can games be... art? (pause for gasps)
MICROSOFT: Gamez 4 MEN!! DONT TELL UR PARENTZ!!
NINTENDO: Cartoon duck RTS
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Australia has suffered a transparency crisis in the last twenty years, with national security laws often deployed for political expediency and in the service of face-saving. 🧵
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McBride’s disclosures weren’t designed to protect shooters, but to highlight rot at the heart SF ops. The fact that his disclosures have only been damaging for shooters (and himself) so far isn’t a ‘rich irony’ but continuing a military tradition of shit rolling downhill.
I’m asking tor some help from friends this morning: Associate Professor Kevin Foster of Monash University has written a highly derogatory review of my character (not my book).
Strange in a review of books.
I’d like people to read it, and comment.
🙏
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Do similar emails from, to or about Angus Campbell, Gus Gilmore and David Hurley exist? An Australian body with subpoena powers (like a Royal Commission) may find out.Just before we go: command responsibility under IHL:
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Another detailed video has emerged out of Perth questioning the IGADF report on war crimes in Afghanistan and its efforts to absolve commanders and above. 🧵
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The British investigation into alleged SAS murders of men and children in Afghansistan is showing a significant framework of enabling. A lot of think about for Australia if the gov or ADF ever wanted to properly investigate the SASR murders (a 🧵)
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@reconghostsamar
It’d be tough to argue the IDF had 6000 current targets related to a paramilitary with few fixed positions ready the day after it had no idea 1500 fighters were executing a sea, air, land invasion of Israel…but you go right ahead and make that argument, champ.
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A🧵 with some of the major revelations in the Afghanistan Inquiry Oversight Panel. Initially so much of the criticism seems to be directed against the strategic decision makers from about 09 onwards, most significantly then CDF and now GG David Hurley
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Disingenuous answer from Marles. So far there’s been white phosphorus urban use, execution of hors de combat fighters, strikes likely unrelated to current int/ on locations likely protected by IHL, forced migration from citizens in locations protected by IHL…
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OK, Australia. Somewhere along the way parts of the Australian and UK SAS seemed to develop very similar methods of murder, killing men and boys over 15 on raids and often after they were PUC'd and planting 'drop weapons' or ICOMS on them.
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As a signatories to the Rome Statute (and as a responsible democracies) the British and Australian militaries have a framework to ensure their forces are acting legally at all times. Both frameworks failed in Afghanistan.
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Quickly: what happened in the UK. In March 2011, Gen. (then Col) Gwyn Jenkins, head of the SBS, was approached by an SAS whistleblower who told Col. Jenkins that some SAS squadrons were killing all fighting-age males during night raids, regardless of whether they posed a threat.
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Gen. Campbell this week speaking about command responsibility for SASR murders in Afgh. Despite the oversight panel stressing that an independent body should investigate this question, Gen. Campbell has marked his own homework and given it to Marles to check.
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One of Australia's earliest alleged SAS crimes in Afghanistan was a blooding in 2009, ordered by Ben Roberts-Smith and his immediate superior, who been in the UKSF and had deployed as part of the SBS.
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In this NY Times piece about UNRWA, Einat Wilf is attributed as 'the co-author of a book about UNRWA.' No mention of the fact she's a former IDF intelligence officer?
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Busy IDF propaganda tour for former Bondi semi-resident Noa Tishby- sponcon and coffee, then massacre site tour and finally rooftop cocktails with Yoav Gallant
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The ICC is a court of last resort, meaning they only issue warrants after it’s proven that the state itself won’t self-investigate. Related: yesterday my FOI requests for inquiry officer reports into SASR killings were denied on national security grounds.
“Today we once again underline that international law and the laws of armed conflict apply to all,” Khan said. “No foot soldier, no commander, no civilian leader — no one — can act with impunity.” ...
One cannot argue with the principle - LOAC applies to all ...
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The whistleblower told Col. Jenkins the SAS were sometimes killing bound prisoners and that drop weapons were being used to justify the killings and to dress Sensitive Site Exploitation (SSE) photography.
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Hadn’t seen this clip before.
@DavidShoebridge
and the director of the OSI discussing whether the SASR were ordered to conduct assassinations in Afghanistan AND…1/2
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Announcing airdrops while still arguing that Israel is compliant with ICJ orders is going to require some tortured diplo-speak.
i've seen Israel humiliate previous US administrations, but aside from murderous 1967 Israeli airstrike against US navy ship Liberty, now forcing USA to do airdrops of aid to Gaza as if USA is no better than Egypt & Jordan is Israel's worst humiliation of USA i've ever seen.
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Worth noting that one of the officers on site at that battle where the 2009 murders happened is now the CO of the Australian SASR. He testified at the BRS trial saying he didn't see any murders and that he doesn't remember much about that mission.
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Issam Abdullah is the seventh journalist killed by the IDF since 2018. Six were wearing armour with PRESS identification when killed and five were targeted by IDF snipers, shot in the head or below their plate armour. IDF has conducted black box investigations only.
Reuters Editor-in-Chief Alessandra Galloni gives statement on killing of Reuters video journalist Issam Abdallah
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Strange timing. On the day McBride was sentenced to jail, Marles finally agreed to release the Afghanistan Implementation Oversight Panel Report to the Senate.
Good day to note that the final report from the Afghanistan Implementation Oversight Panel, designed to help refrom the ADF post war crimes- still gathers dust...despite the Senate ordering that it must be tabled.
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This is stunning. A colonel who publicly asked the IDF CoS and War Cabinet to do 'everything in your power' not to allow 'humanitarian supplies and the operation of hospitals inside Gaza City' should have been removed immediately, not put in charge of a deconfliction area.
There is a increasing- albeit circumstantial- evidence backing up the
@bobjcarr
suggestion that an extremist mid-level IDF commander in a culture of impunity may have ordered the attack on the WCK convoy, knowing who they were.
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OZ SF work with partner forces who habitually committed war crimes. Oz law requires soldiers to come forward if they see partner force committing war crimes. Every soldier knew that if they did so, they'd be bollocked. Not reporting was an embedded part of the culture. 2/2
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In both forces it seems 'blooding' was taking place, meaning some rookie soldiers were compelled to get their first kill by executing a prisoner after a raid.
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Gillard was PM when things went truly wrong for Australia in Afghanistan. But yeah, it’s the kids don’t get war.
Julia Gillard has warned many young Australians have ill-informed and unbalanced views about the Israel-Hamas conflict because social media has exploited their lack of knowledge about the history of Israel.
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Pretty much everyone I know who's exposed an aspect of Australia's war crimes shame has done so to the detriment of their mental health. Whistleblowers are like refugees in that their destination is often a port of last resort
The personal cost to courageous Australian war crimes researcher/sociologist
@SCrompvoets
vividly described here. She lost government contract work and her livelihood as ADF cut her off. Then Defence Minister Dutton made it “very clear” -no further contracts. Shameful.
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When there was any suspicion that forces had acted illegally, both Australia and Britain have a legal obligation, under IHL and common law to investigate. A failure to do so is a breach of law.
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The Brereton Report found officers did not know about any of the alleged SASR murders, but this seem highly unlikely. Soldiers at the BRS trial spoke of the fear of repercussions should they raise concerns about murders.
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Details have emerged about the killing of Zomi Frankcom and the other WCK and they suggest IDF strike procedures are wanton and probably illegal 🧵
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Ben Fordham and the ABC have both called a social media post linking to the
@hrw
report about the deliberate starvation of civilians as a method of warfare as 'controversial.' Do they consider the report controversial, or the method of warfare?
ABC management is under fire AGAIN.
It has to do with a fill-in presenter, Antoinette Lattouf.
The public broadcaster sacked her over a controversial social media post.
But it related to a story they already covered.
🎧🎧
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British Gov will now investigate alleged SAS war crimes in Afghanistan. Same period as Australian allegations, same mission set (described here as DDO but was kill/ capture) and even same sub-tribe who were victims.
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Always keep in mind that Ben Roberts-Smith is accused of multiple murders. He's not accused making racist comments, or tax evasion but murder.
Chris Masters and Nick McKenzie won the Walkley Honour for Media Freedom to a standing ovation from the entire ballroom.............
Except the 7 West table.
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Messaging on the Haniyeh killings are very different in English and Hebrew.
@Now14Israel
and Knesset members are intimating in Hebrew that the children were targets of the strike, not collateral.
An IDF commander watched three kids- 10, 8 and 4- get into a car, then ordered the car be destroyed. It's not that different to ordering soldiers to bayonet children in their beds.
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